


Night Train

by Shadhavar1126 (Chimera428)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: 1st date, Alex never left MidVale, Alternate Universe - Western, Angst, Cat Discovers Kara's powers, Cat leaves, Danvers Ranch, F/F, First Dates, Gen, Kara never left MidVale, No Supergirl, date, mechanical bull, pilot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-08-14 07:49:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8004319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chimera428/pseuds/Shadhavar1126
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Kara had never left Midvale, and her foster family owned a ranch that they turned into a family business once Jeremiah was taken from them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Came up with this little tidbit thanks to more [ SGSC/@Octoplods art](http://supergaysupercat.tumblr.com/post/149942360466/a-big-thankyou-to-fictorium-for-sharing-her) AND [@Fictorium ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/fictorium/pseuds/fictorium) cause REASONS and [ @CampNowhere for her Cowgirl!AU fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7862239/chapters/17953810) and anyone else who joins in this flippin' AU lol

Kara snagged her keys off the table, grabbing her hat off the hook and fitting it easily on her head like a glove.

“Where are you going?” Alex asked, catching her sister at the door, eyeing her best pair of ropers, her championship belt and white tank top, her button up was in her free hand and the heavy thump of the heel of her boots resounded just as loudly as a frustrated sigh.

“You are not.” Alex tossed the maps and layout for the night drive in her lap aside, already up on her feet as she walked over to her sibling.

“Not what?” Kara huffed, arms crossing over her chest.

“Kara you've got to be kidding me.” Alex eyed the younger woman, smelling the earthy scent Kara only ever wore to special events or a date. “What, you show her how to ride western, get her to help brand the new calves, and get her son involved with the rest of the kids his age here while she tries to find herself? You think she's going to find what she's looking for in you? She's not-”

“What!? Alex? Huh? She's not like us? That it? Because I'm a backwoods, country, idiot who knows horses and trucks and I help run a cattle ranch so I'm not good enough? Rich enough maybe?” Kara stepped dangerously closer to her sister. “Or is it just because I'm simple and she's complicated?”

Kara turned away then, shoving at the screen door and letting it bang behind her.

“She's going to go back.”

Kara was halfway to her truck when she stopped hard enough to send the grit under her boots up into small dust clouds around her feet.

Alex stood in the doorway looking after her sister. “She doesn't belong here Kara, and no amount of anything can change that in her.”

Kara shifted her jaw, turning to look back at Alex. “I don't belong here either, remember, you said the same thing to me when I was twelve.” She shook her head, seeing the regret in Alex's expression before scuffing her boots into the gravel. “Lock the damn door when you leave. And be careful tonight, there’s a storm on the horizon.”

Kara pulled herself up into her old pickup slamming the door in her wake. Some people collected stamps, teddy bears, knots, bottle caps. Some had a favorite buckle, boots, a hat, even a pair of chaps, she wasn't excluded from that, but when it really came down to it either, but for Kara it was always, always her truck.

It was her sanctuary, her one prideful indulgence outside of the small apartment of a house her foster parents had given her when she turned sixteen. Right now it was her savior, her one method of freedom. She revved the engine, throwing it into gear, spitting gravel and dirt at the house as the tires gripped and she took off. She tossed her hat in the passenger seat, rolling the windows down as she barreled down the lengthy road leading up from the Danver's ranch to the main roads.

Kara shoved at her cheeks, pushing the wetness away as she let the wind whipping in from her speed dry the rest. She never thought she could convince Cat Grant, some big high end CEO who was taking a sabbatical to extend it beyond however long she intended. Nor would she dare try. The last thing she needed though was her sister reminding her of the finality of Cat's presence in her world. Or at least a world she herself had adapted to over the past thirteen years.

She hit the steering wheel, running a hand through her hair before propping her head up on her hand against the door. She thought about the past few months, how some of them had taken bets on just how long this city woman and her son would last. Amidst all other fare of people who came through to experience the ranching life during the season like they always did.

Kara had always joined in, even half heartedly. She always lost the bet too. Which really only meant picking up extra duties, but she always found herself hoping the people that came through would stick around longer or find some kind of profound strength or change in themselves and embrace it. Needless to say most people only lasted a month, each one of them returning to the city with little prompt. Every time, new season, new people, she'd hold out for someone to stick around longer, for a family to not utilize it just as a vacation away from their actual lives, for people to actually consider staying.

None of them did, until now. Not until Cat and her son. Though Kara wasn't sure whose benefit that might be for and somewhere between all of it, Kara had fallen for this impossible woman. If she were honest she knew what Cat was doing, one didn't build an empire the likes of which even reached the occasional murmurings of Kara's hometown and just walk away from it. The woman was hiding, under the guise of improving her son's life and social skills maybe but Kara had seen through her the first minute she stepped out of the van in those impossibly high heels and pencil skirt.

Kara should have known then when the woman turned her head then she was only going to get into trouble the more she interacted with her. She glanced up across the ridge, seeing the last curve of the sun as it began to set over the horizon, clouds already turning red. She set her jaw as her own level of determination settled around her shoulders.

A couple miles down the way she turned into the main ranch and visitor complex, slowing the assault of the gas pedal until she was idling up the drive. Already all the ranch hands were checking over the horses and double checking all the gear for the overnight drive. Kara nodded to a couple of the crew she worked with as she turned off the main drag towards the more secluded cabins.

She parked the truck, catching Carter running off to join some of the other kids his age that were getting ready for the drive. He waved at her with a big grin before his attention was pulled away from her and he rounded a corner headed towards where she had just come from. She knew he was going on the drive, she had seen his name on the list Alex had been working on just before she got ready. She hadn't seen Cat's name, which had prompted this little endeavor of hers into complete fruition.

Kara saw the light on in the cabin the Grant's had been occupying, noting the silhouette of the woman inside while her mouth ran dry. She flexed her hand around her keys, boots sounding heavy on the short set of steps until she was on the porch, easily pulling Cat's attention as Kara saw her through the screen door, the inner door having been left open by Carter.

“Kara?” Cat set the small pile of notepads and papers on the table set in the small main room of the cabin as she moved closer to the door, eyes already roaming over the other woman's frame as she smiled faintly, as if she had been caught; and like some cliché movie, Kara took her hat off setting it against her chest while holding the teardrop crown of it in her fingers.

“Evening.” She turned slightly as Cat began to ask what she was doing, gesturing to the continuing commotion behind her and further own down towards the main gathering range. “I have the night off.” She didn't say it was because she had actually won the bet for how long Cat would make it here. “And seeing as my sister's taking lead for the overnight drive, I noticed you weren't going.”

Cat had yet to open the door, her arms coming to cross over her chest as she eyed the other woman cautiously, keeping her expression in check for the time being. She hadn't originally planned on going on the overnight drive when it had first been brought to her attention, and when Carter had shown more and more interest in their current experience, the moment he said he wanted to go she had decided she was going to utilize the time to herself to catch up on her empire back in National City.

That was until Kara had shown up. She had been certain the woman was going to ride flank with the herd like Cat had seen her do during the day drives they had participated in prior. Seeing her in pristine jeans,a white tank with her open shirt, hat against her chest, hair down, and if she wasn't being deceived, a scant touch of makeup while on her porch was wholly unexpected.

“I, hadn't planned on it no.” Cat finally answered, not stopping the other woman when she hooked the latch of the screen door and pulled it open.

“Did,” Kara cleared her throat as her voice broke, keeping the door open with the toe of her boot. “Did you have plans?”

Cat flexed her jaw feeling an almost since forgotten sense of anxiousness settle low around her hips and burn up towards her solar plexus. She did have plans, or at the very least had intended on working in some form or fashion. Just because she wasn't actually in National City didn't mean she was completely shut out from the on-goings of CatCo, thanks to the wonderful world of technology. Instead of putting a voice to her intentions she took another round of inventory of the woman on her porch and shook her head.

Kara smiled genuinely, feeling her heartbeat pick up as she put her hat back on her head, using one finger to tip the underbrim up enough to look at Cat properly. “Get some boots on then.” Kara mused, causing the other woman to allow a small sound of amusement to break between them before she did just that.

Before too much more time passed Kara was already in the truck, just on the other side of the porch, she leaned over enough and opened the passenger door from the inside, offering a hand to the other woman once she finished locking up and made her way over. Cat reached in, Kara pulling her inside effortlessly before the door was shut, leaving them on the bench seat with one another as Kara put the truck into gear.

She steered them back around to the main staging area, where Kara stopped again so Cat could talk to Carter through the window while Kara ran over a few finer points with some of the other ranch hands until she saw Alex getting out of her car. Kara merely nodded to her sibling, conveying what she could about keeping everyone safe with her look before Cat pulled her attention.

“Alright then, where exactly are we going.”

The corner of Kara's mouth turned, blue eyes cutting to the other woman from under the line of her hat. “Now where's the fun in that?” She eased through the main road leading from the ranch until she knew they weren't a danger to anyone as she shifted gears and pushed the truck faster down the dirt and gravel road.

The lights from the ranch were barely a glimmer on the horizon when Kara pulled them off onto a dirt road that seemed to lead to nowhere but endless waves of tall grass and the occasional rock crag. Unconsciously Cat had drifted closer to Kara until their hands were almost touching before the truck began to slow. Kara pulled them around and off the road, causing Cat to grab for her arm as the truck lurched a bit until they evened out and with a grind came to a halt.

Kara put the truck into park and looked over at the other woman, eyeing her hand and then looking up at her directly where Cat flexed her hand before easing her touch away. Kara smiled again before pushing open her door. “C'mon.” She urged, sliding out of the truck before offering Cat a hand out.

Cat eyed her suspiciously, glancing to the horizon as the last glimmers of sunlight were beginning to fall below the horizon. Until Kara's bounce pulled her attention. “We're gonna miss it.” She flexed her fingers until Cat took her hand and Kara helped her out of the truck.

She was gone a second after, grabbing a small bag out of the truck bed before grabbing Cat's hand up again, pulling her along gently until they were both nearly running down a slight hill when the sound of old steel and box cars pulled Cat's attention as Kara let her go. Kara dropped her bag a second after, chasing it down, handing a bottle to Cat who took it despite her slight pants and eyed the lack of fullness within it. Kara was up with a sharp snap of a noise as she tossed a blanket out and patted down the grass beneath it.

Kara was down on the dense fabric just as the locomotive rounded the corner, sounding its horn like some great beast as Cat stepped over, still standing as she looked from the train to the woman who crossed her ankles where her legs stretched out on the blanket, propped back on her hands. “You gonna sit?” She asked waiting another beat before turning her head up to look at the woman.

Cat actually smirked, brow still arced as she glanced to the train as it drew closer in its slow amble across the prairie then back to the woman looking up at her under the brim of that damned hat. She reached over then, following through with her urge and plucked the thing off Kara's head, propping it on her own before lowering herself beside Kara at an angle, legs folding beneath herself.

“This your idea of a date?” Cat questioned, twisting off the top of the bottle, wiping off the neck with her sleeve before taking a swig of it, wincing at the burn as notes of vanilla and cinnamon warmed her insides until the sharper bite of citrus followed her second sip as she waited for Kara to answer.

“You tell me.” Kara reached over, taking the bottle of Southern Comfort and taking a swig from it without pause, tasting the hint of essence that was all Cat before it was overrun with clove and the rich flavor of cherry and honey as the flavors wound themselves around her palette. “You've probably been on actual ones.”

Cat felt her insides twinge when Kara drank immediately after her, coupled with the minute challenge in her tone before it shifted with her admittance causing Cat to hum with veiled amusement as she took another sip before screwing the lid back on and abandoning the thing between them. “You're telling me, looking like you do and the way you handle horses and cattle, that you've never been on an actual date?”

Kara allowed a half smile to curl on her lips though it didn't reach her eyes as she adjusted her position, setting on one arm to partially face Cat, the other hand wrapping around her wrist to support herself. “You didn't answer my question about them though.”

Cat shivered, both in part to Kara's look and the chill rising in the air. “Mine first.”

Kara's smile fell then, she was pushing herself back up to a proper sitting position while Cat suddenly felt as if she has said something wrong until she realized what the woman was doing. Without prompt or suggestion she was pulling her outer shirt off easing it around Cat's shoulders and tugging it together before Cat could protest.

“Yes.” Cat whispered as Kara started to move back to where she had been, her movement stilling as she tipping her head curiously at the older woman before she continued. “I'd like to think it is.”

Kara eased back on her heels but stayed just as close, fingertips closing the center button of her shirt around Cat's body as she threaded her arms through the sleeves absently. “Not until now.” She reached up, gently pushing her hat back and down along Cat's crown until it was seated just right, albeit a touch loose seeing as it wasn't made for her.

“How do you do that?” Cat spoke, glancing up to the under brim of the hat as it was adjusted before turning her gaze back to Kara. When she just looked at her confused Cat swallowed visibly. “Completely disarm me without a word.”

Kara actually grinned, a breath of a laugh causing her chest to jump slightly with its weight. “Don't know.” She answered honestly, their bodies wavering closer together as Cat's eyes fell to Kara's mouth then lifted back up while Kara just continued to look at her without wavering. “I've never been all that good with them to be honest.”

Cat leaned closer, stopping herself short when Kara didn't seem to reciprocate her action until she felt the touch of Kara's fingers brushed across her skin along the line of her jaw, dusting across her neck. “I...” Cat started, causing Kara to stop herself as fingers swirled along the back of the woman's neck. “I need to know something.” Kara licked the line of her own lips, giving a small nod.

“You sur-” Her words were cut off as Cat leaned up and caught her words with her mouth, their lips met gently, fitting around each other before breaking apart. Kara leaned a little closer, feeling Cat swallow as they broke apart and traded positions, her lips fitting around Cat's bottom one this time. Cat's hands fit around her sides, flexing against her back as Kara turned her head slightly, mouth opening as Cat breathed her in, chin tipping up as her tongue preceded the closure of her bottom lip around Kara's lips again, teasing the swell before she drew back completely.

Cat's hands drifted away, fingertips ran over her own throat as she swallowed hard, chasing the taste of Kara down until her touch drifted across the other woman's bare arms until they were wrapped around the tone of muscle of her biceps.

Kara tried to quiet her breathing, the pair of them surrounded by the fading clack of the train and the growing symphony of crickets as night settled around them. Thunder rumbled off in the distance and for a half second Kara swore it was her heart. “Was, was that what you needed to know?”

Cat shook her head slightly, eyes searching Kara's features. “I can do better.” Kara whispered, pulling up onto her knees, hands flexing in Cat's hair as she pulled the woman closer tipping her head back and pushing her own hat off as she brought their mouths together. Cat melted against her for a half second before pulling herself flush against Kara's body, opening her mouth, inviting Kara inside and letting out a soft whimper when she felt the first tease of Kara's tongue.

Kara wrapped her arms around Cat's frame, pulling her closer as she kissed her thoroughly and with abandon, pouring every ounce of what she was feeling for the woman if nothing else to ensure she wasn't forgotten. That this moment stayed with Cat as much as it was going to stay with Kara. Beyond even when the inevitable happened and the woman from the city who already had reservations on Kara’s heart returned to it and left her behind.

Cat’s brow furrowed her brow, feeling Kara’s whimper, her hands slid down to the flat of her chest fingers flexing gently until they broke apart. Kara dipped her head down, nosing Cat's cheek before it was pulled away from her.

“Kara?”

The woman in question tucked her lips inward, easing her hold and refusing to look directly at Cat even as she tried to pull her attention. “Why does that feel like goodbye?”

Kara shook her head slightly, not even sure what she could say, should say, what right did she have, she was just some country girl lost in this idea of a city woman she'd only known for a few months. A woman with three ex husbands, two sons, an empire named after her and an entire life away from here.

  
“Ask me again later.” Kara said quietly as Cat lifted her hands to her face, pulling her gaze as she traced her features, eyes searching for things she wasn't sure she was ready for before she nodded leaning in to place another much more tender kiss on Kara's lips.

Kara shifted her weight, pulling Cat with her with a soft gasp, the woman's hand twisting into her shirt until Kara eased her hand along the woman's side. “Relax..” Cat did so as Kara simply stretched out on the blanket again, one arm folding under her head as Cat settled on her hip, hand still flat against Kara's chest. The corner of Cat's mouth lifted giving a small shake of her head before she scooted down, fitting herself in the strength of Kara's embrace and turning enough to look up at the night sky as it opened up to the both of them.

Kara glanced over after a long series of moments, eyes turning back up as she found the void in sky that she always did, feeling a small pang in her heart for what used to be there before she tipped her head, pressing it against Cat's own gently. “Know anything about stars?” She murmured among the din of crickets.

Cat hummed softly, curling tighter into the other woman as she scanned the constellations reaching up to point out a set of seven stars. “That one, is the little bear...” she traced the figure before reaching for Kara's hand, using her fingers to trace the next constellation beneath it. “That's Draco.” She moved to the left, outlining the broader frame of the next one she remembered. “Pegasus…”

Kara grinned, edging closer she nudged Cat’s features, whispering against her ear enough to make Cat shiver again as she took over, tracing patterns of stars she had rediscovered since coming to Earth. “That one, is a winged one…” She heard Cat make a noise of amusement, no doubt assuming Kara was just making things up, regardless she continued. Tracing another swirl of a pattern. “That’s Nightwing…” Cat turned her head to look at Kara her amusement fading into reverence at the feeling of her fingertips in the air under Kara’s touch. “That’s the fire…” Kara’s voice fell quieter as she glanced at Cat, locking eyes with her again, “bird.”

Thunder sounded in the distance behind them again but they both ignored it as Cat brought their hands down, drawing Kara's fingers to the sides of her face again. Her touch was tender and firm, as if she were memorizing her contours when Cat caught another flicker of that look from before feeling the pull at her chest as realization dawned. She couldn't stay here forever, she shouldn't have stayed this long. Carter's argument about them both needing a real vacation together and the fact it was summer was surprisingly easy to agree to, when she factored Kara into all of it.

Somewhere between leaving National City and allowing herself to just be in a new element she had found herself finding excuse after excuse to get to know the woman who had caught her attention the day she stepped out of the van and onto the ranch. As time progressed and she saw her work she made it a point to get closer to her somehow until it seemed everywhere she ended up Kara was close by or already tracking her with her gaze.

That had been within the first few weeks, once they actually started talking, she had found herself engaged in all manner of ranching that had anyone informed her of prior to this point she might have given them the number to her therapist.

Cat leaned closer, her lips fitting around Kara's as she kissed her, slow and gentle at first before pulling in a deep breath through her nose as she pushed her way inside Kara's mouth to taste her, drawing a small moan up from the woman's chest as a result.

Kara's hand was in her hair again pulling her closer until she heard something beyond the thunder that seized her body to attention. Gently urging Cat up as she stood, making for the crest of the hill in a rush only to hear Cat gasp as she came up beside her.

“Is that...my god, the night drive...”  
  
“Get in the truck.” Kara spoke in a tone that actually scared Cat.

“Kara I-”

“Cat, get in the truck and drive, drive down the road it's on and when you get to the end turn left it'll take you straight back.”

Kara was already closing the door on her, the stuff from their date tossed in the back.

“What about you?! Why'm I-”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course but-”

“Carter is on that drive, my sister, my family and yours, the truck isn't going to be fast enough but it'll give you something to focus on.”

“Kara you're scaring me..”

“I'm fast enough. But I have to go now.”

“Kara please, just get in the truck.”

“Cat.” The other woman hushed abruptly as Kara grabbed the door, hoisting herself up and silencing the other woman with a hard kiss. “Just drive.”

Cat watched as Kara took off running, she started the truck, throwing it into gear with a grind before slamming her foot on the pedal, her eye still on the other woman as she watched her leap into the air only to stumble and then keep running. When she saw her jump again she nearly missed the turn watching Kara leap higher than should be possible before landing again, that was until she heard Kara shout with her efforts and take off into the air at a high rate of speed.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex tightened the reigns of her horse, pulling him up short as she shouted orders to a small handful of wranglers to scatter the herd and focus on the kids and other guests. The storm had turned midway through the drive and before Alex knew it the cell had exploded and given the force of the straight line winds only signaled one thing. The lightning veining across the sky had revealed what she had already instinctively felt in the air. The funnel was driving towards them with little to no shelter aside from a small valley. They might be able to make if they drove the group at full speed but half their compliment were novice riders or less.

She was off her horse in an instant, feeling the animal rear up with its own fear and shouted some of the others to get the riders down, that they were going to have to run on their own seeing as it was too dangerous for them all to try and stay mounted.

Eliza was by her side in an instant, dismounting as well before sending her horse off as she started helping Alex try and manually wrangle horses and riders and get them to the ground. “Where's Kara?!” Her mother shouted over the storm, easing Carter down from his animal before pulling him out of the way when it startled and kicked before taking off.

“Mom!” Alex was by their side in an instant, Eliza having taken the brunt of the hit while shielding Carter with her body.

“It's not bad I'm alright.” She winced, her shirt torn and staining red where she had been caught.

“My mom and her went off in the truck that way!” Carter answered Alex as she checked him over before Eliza reassured her she was alright just clipped.

“We have got to try and make it over that ridge!” She shouted, turning to another rider and helping them dismount before sending their horse off to seek its own shelter.

Within moments everyone was grouped together, the wranglers remaining along the outside just like with a herd, ushering the group towards the valley as the rain and debris picked up all around them.

That was when she heard it, the sonic boom breaking through the storm and her stomach dropped out. They were all already rain soaked and windblown, the herd had scattered in a dangerous rampage yet somehow she and the others had managed to keep everyone together. With another flash of lightning she caught something in the air, white and soaked, hovering and for a moment was fearful they hadn't counted heads right until she caught a different kind of light altogether.

Kara flew into the tornado, spiraling above it into the colder rainy air and disappearing. Bursts of white light lit up the clouds, until a continued blast of Kara's heat vision spiraled downward into the tornado itself in a counter spinning motion. Alex turned away enough to bark a few more orders to the other wranglers as they tried to maintain the group and keep anyone's horse from spooking any further than they already were.

The air around them began to warm considerably as more bright white light tore through the clouds until another burst of wind pushed the storm apart leaving them all rain soaked and disheveled. Some were injured from being thrown or from bits of debris but no one seemed to required immediate medical attention.

“Is everyone alright?” Alex ushered, her voice carrying over the rain as she took inventory of those around her, more than half of them running on pure adrenaline.

“LOOK!” Out of the darkness they saw the peek of lights, breaking across the tall grass. Alex grabbed the small flashlight she always kept on her belt and clicked it on, trying to flag down the vehicle. A round of cheers sounded as soon as they heard the horn signaling they had been spotted.

“Oh thank god.” Cat said to herself as she turned Kara's truck towards the small flicker of light through the dying storm, honking to let them know she saw them as she made her way towards them, bringing the thing to a halt.

Eliza was the first to her window, looking to the passenger seat and finding it empty before looking at Cat who was still holding onto the steering wheel with white knuckles. They shared a single look and in that moment Eliza knew Kara had revealed herself, no doubt to save them all somehow but there was still no sign of her as yet.

“It's alright, we're mostly okay. You're okay..” She ushered, watching Cat slowly start to relax.

“MOM!” Carter made Cat jump, the door coming open from the other side as he practically jumped in and wrapped his arms around her in a fierce hug.

“You're okay.” She started, finally releasing the steering wheel in favor of her son, pulling him to her as Eliza moved away, working with Alex and the other able bodied individuals to load the truck up so they could all get back to the ranch.

They would deal with the horses and the herd in the morning as it was too dark and too dangerous with the impending possibility of the weather turning rough again looming over them all. Alex took over driving, while Cat relegated herself to the truck bed with Carter and some of the others so that those who were injured might fare better in the cab. None of them saw Kara again, at least not on their drive back, nor when they began unloading their passenger compliment.

Eliza was met by her neighbors and other members of the ranch who were supposed to be working in the morning, each ready to lend a helping hand in getting everyone taken care of and settled back into the security of their cabins. They all worked effortlessly, shoring up where the storm had swept through the ranch, though thankfully the tornado hadn't touched down until it reached more open space. After a few hours and a set plan for morning, assuming the sun would be up on time everyone was accounted for and secure in their own homesteads.

All save for one Cat Grant. Her son had nearly passed out once he had been allowed to settle after the two of them had finished helping the others around the ranch. She had insisted on a hot bath for him to chase away any chill from the rain and somewhere around two am she finally emerged from her own hot shower.

That had been an hour ago, she was dressed in her pj's, hair curled and wavy from drying in the air and she was nursing a steaming cup of coffee while standing in the dark, looking out her screen door as the rain pelted her porch hoping that with each burst of lightning that Kara would suddenly appear, just as quickly as she had taken to the sky.

Cat felt her heart seize at the thought, her fingers tightening around her mug as she ran over the possibilities. The world was well aware of Superman, she had been quite certain he stated his entire planet and everyone on it was gone. However the display Kara had put on only meant one of two things, that she was from the same place, or she was from somewhere else entirely.

The media mogul wasn't sure which one she preferred more, but the woman in her, the one that had fallen for the beautiful, sunny ranch hand was terrified. Regardless she continued to wait, she needed to see the other woman, she had questions that needed answers and worse still, Carter was due back for the new school year in less than a couple of weeks.

Even after she finished her coffee there was no sign of Kara, not a single imprint of her back at the ranch despite the one she had left on Cat's heart. A part of her wondered if this was how it was going to be, if Kara's kiss from earlier had been just that, a goodbye. With that final thought Cat turned in, disappearing into the thick comfort of her sheets and quilt as the continuing storm drowned out her thoughts just enough to allow her to succumb to sleep.

The next morning the ranch was abuzz with energy, some calling it a miricle, some calling it nature but upon waking Eliza had been the first to notice the stables, which had been empty when she left them the night before. Right now they were full, not a single animal missing blanketed and dry and all their respected tack left to dry in the tack room.

As a matter of course she left the secondary part out but the fact that all the horses were back was something she knew she wouldn’t be able to hide. She and Alex both knew who was responsible but simply maintained it had to have been one horse leading the group back and someone just taking care of them that was more than likely asleep now given the night and how long that would have taken.

As the morning progressed everyone took it upon themselves to get things back up and running like normal, citing the need for the animals to rest just as they had they decided to forego trying to round up the scattered herd, hoping in part that they might follow the example set out by the horses from the night before and gradually wander back to familiar surroundings.

By early afternoon it had been decided,given that they had all managed to get back to the ranch in one piece and very little damage had occurred they would have a sort of party. Everyone who could would be cooking and those that couldn’t were setting up the main ranch area to accommodate everyone.

Cat was preoccupied with helping Eliza when she heard Carter shout with excitement, her attention pulling up abruptly to the point where Eliza even had to ask if she was alright. Cat turned to look at the woman, wiping her hands on an apron before pulling it off. “His father and I are divorced. He shouldn’t be here.” Cat supplied, leaving Eliza behind as she banged her way out of the commonhouse, her shoulders dropping when she saw Carter’s father hoisting him up and turning him in the air before the man finally caught sight of Cat.

“Hey Kitty.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Mom mom! Dad said the storm made the news and when Dad saw it, knowing we were here he flew right out!”

“I’ll just bet.” Cat stood with her arms crossed, looking down from her place on the porch watching Roger and Carter before the boy returned to her side. “Go help Miss Eliza, please.” There was no arguing in her tone and Carter nodded, grinning like an idiot to his dad before he turned and bounded inside.

“You’re going to hurt him again, I swear to god Roger, I’m not kidding this time.”

The man held up his hands. “Hey, I was genuinely concerned okay, I’m his father for crying out loud.”

Cat huffed out a breath at that, eyeing the man carefully. “What do you want?”

“To see my son.”

“Right, when its convenient for you, not when he wants to see you, of course how could I be so dense.”

“Now look Kitty.”

“Stop. Calling me that.” She shifted her jaw, her tone dangerous as he halted his forward progression towards her.

“Cat, he starts school in a couple weeks, you’ve had him since just after Thanksgiving.”

“Yes, and you were supposed to take him in March like you promised and instead-

“I had to work Cat, you know I can’t bring him with me like you can. Not all of us are so lucky to run our own empires and make up the rules as we go along.”

“No, this is true, you just get to make up the ones concerning being an actual parent.”

Roger actually made some kind of growl of a sound, moving to step closer only to run into the solid form of some woman that knocked him back about two feet from their impact alone.

“Is there a problem here Ms. Grant?”

“Alex..” Cat said quietly as Roger regrouped, looking the slight woman over with a furrow to his brow before dusting himself off.

“I’m here for my son, who’s going to come with me after tonight before he starts school seeing as I won’t get another chance until Christmas.”

Cat’s eyes narrowed and Alex lifted her chin. “Sterling!” She shouted, making Roger jump before a large man who could be the poster child for Marlboro dropped his rope and stalked over. Cat’s hand was on Alex’s shoulder unbidden but she didn’t call the man off, even as he came to settle next to Cat’s ex a good four inches taller than the man.

“Ma’ams.” He nodded before looking to Roger who was somewhat dumbstruck.

“Show our newest guest here a place for him to change and stick to his six.”

Roger put up no fight when Sterling gestured that they step aside so he could get out of his suit and into something more fitting for their current location and when they were a suitable distance away Alex finally spoke again.

“Lots of places to hide a body up here.”

The suggestion alone made Cat give a single verbal laugh, though Alex could tell there was little humor and genuine consideration to the offer within the noise.

“He’s relatively harmless. Except for when it comes to my son’s emotional state.”

Alex glanced to her shoulder, to which Cat promptly removed her hand before she turned and looked up at the woman still coiled in on herself on the porch. “We’ll watch him, I promise, and if you want Carter to stay we’ll make sure of it okay?”

Cat let out a small sigh, her shoulders finally seeming to relax before she nodded. “I’ll keep it in mind.” They lingered like that a moment before Alex made to move away again only to stop with the scuff of Cat’s boot. “Have you-”

“Nope.” Alex shook her head once over, knowing Cat was asking about Kara. For that moment of insight Alex was actually grateful, she wasn’t sure how much Cat had been made privy to thank to her sister and her abilities given the storm but she was aware Cat knew she wasn’t just a normal country girl anymore.

Cat seemed to be struggling with herself for a moment or more, and because of it Alex remained rooted in place, giving the woman time to work through whatever had its grip in her mind until Cat stepped down one stair, bringing the pair of them closer.

“I’m not, I don’t plan to say anything about-”

“About my sister.” Alex punctuated, “despite your profession and stature back at home in National City.” She sounded unconvinced of that little factoid and Cat knew it with the defensive posture they both took then.

“That’s not an easy thing to admit.” Cat smarted, taking another step down until they were eye to eye with one another.

“You have no concept of what it is she gifted to you do you?” Alex allowed, eyeing Cat for a minute as she seemed to process that statement before she shook her head. “She revealed herself to you, what she is, what she can do, she’s only done that once before when she was thirteen and she saved our neighbors kids from their burning homestead. It’s in her nature to want to do those things, but it’s also what could get her in more trouble than it’s worth.”

“What’s that supposed to mean exactly.”

“You saw what happened when the world found out about Superman, you should know first hand given where you started. Yes, I’ve googled you and looked into other parts of your background Ms Grant, it was the first thing I did when I saw your name on the application to come here with your son. Kara’s different, she’s not like him, didn’t have the luxuries he does and right now she’s got it pretty good here, or did until last night.”

Cat studied Alex’s features carefully, letting her words sink in as she ran over the tenure of Superman and his place of discovery in the world, her world, as it had become known to them.

Alex let out a slow breath, her own arms crossing as she relaxed her posture. “But I also know she, she cares about you probably more than she should for such a short time but I”m not the best example of that. Regardless, Ms. Grant, Cat, if you feel anything for her-”

“Alexandra.” Eliza was suddenly on the porch, causing the other two women to startle with her interruption before Alex cut her eyes back to Cat and made herself scarce.

“I should apologize for my eldest, she’s rather protective.”

“I see that.” Cat offered quietly before turning to look up at the Danvers matriarch.

“Kara’s grown, more than, and she’s chosen to stay here living this life instead of the one her cousin chose.” There was no pretending Cat didn’t know, especially with Alex’s display. “What I will tell you is, despite that choice, when she met you, I think she made another one.”

Cat let out a breath, noting Eliza’s small smile before the woman nodded back towards the common house. “Come back inside, get distracted with food instead of all this seriousness”

“You make it seem so simple.”

Eliza actually laughed. “It has to be, life’s far too short to lose yourself to complication. That and things will happen as they are apt to, one way or another based on the choices we make with what we’re given.”

Cat let out a deeper breath, feeling Alex and Eliza’s words intermingling within her while the prospect of her ex-husband being around at least for the rest of the evening and into tomorrow made her head throb.

“C’mon, move it Cat, can’t have you standing about being useless.” Eliza was already back at the door, holding the thing open expectantly.

Cat took another look in the direction Alex had made off towards, then Roger, and finally to the blue truck that still sat parked across the main through-way. She scuffed her boot again, before making her way up the stairs and into the commonhouse, followed thereafter by Eliza.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't you want to stay just a little while...
> 
> *note to self don't edit while you're exhausted, you end up deleting things O_o

By the next evening, Cat found herself in her cabin in the middle of the Danvers ranch alone. Amazingly enough Roger had behaved, and with Carter’s own urging and a few veiled threats from the Danvers and their compliment about what might just happen to the man should they hear a peep about Carter and his well-being becoming anything other than ecstatic, Cat had relented and allowed the pair of them to leave the ranch together.

Roger promised Carter would be delivered back to her a few days before school started, prepped and ready and full of supplies without an ounce of regret or sadness to be had on anyone’s behalf.

Given the festivities and how well fed and rested everyone had been, today they had decided to take everyone who was willing to go round up the herd that had scattered from the storm. All hands for the ranch were on deck regardless of the patrons who decided to join in, considering Cat was the only one whom abstained it was safe to assume everyone’s spirits were back in place despite it all.

All except Cat’s.

No one had seen or heard from Kara since that night, though Cat suspected at least one of the two Danver’s women had some idea of where she was. Or perhaps it was just Eliza’s disposition concerning her foster daughter and how she did things on her own time, always had, always would.

Cat pulled the edges of the shirt closer around her body, the sleeves rolled up seeing as they were just a bit too long and as she took a deep breath all she could smell was Kara and the rain. With another exhale she turned, her mind made as she pulled open the drawer to the small table beside the door, fishing out the keys there the smallest curve of a smile touching her lips when she saw the ‘S’ symbol keychain that had been attached to them.

Kara might not be Super...girl, yet or ever, but there was something to be said for the nostalgia of what must have been some symbol from where she had come from for her to have it on hand all the time. Cat thumbed the symbol, feeling the weathering undoubtedly from Kara’s similar motion before she was out the door and in the truck with a hearty thud. Key in the ignition she started it up, pulling onto the main through road and going left. She had always seen Kara coming from the left.

She drove down the road, scanning the horizon as she drove along gravel and dirt, Kara had pointed out it was far enough away from everything but near enough that she could get there by car or horse. She rounded another series of small hills in the makeshift road and saw the edge of a structure on the horizon and pushed the truck all the faster until she was pulling into a white gravel drive, sending a cloud up around her when she stopped.

Cat made her way to the small house, bounding up the steps and pushing inside as the screen door banged behind her. “Kara..” She called, keys clutched in her hand as she waited, upon receiving no answer she moved deeper into the small living room making for the adjoining kitchen. ”Kara.” She tried again, almost seeming to hold her breath.

“You’re still here.”

Cat turned, half startled at the sound of Kara’s voice as she appeared in the opposing hallway. She looked just like she had when they had seen one another in the same space last. Kara stepped out of the mouth of the hall, Cat's fingers itched at her sides, her chest caving when Kara wavered forward, and when Cat didn't move Kara stopped herself.

“Please,” Cat started, closing the distance between them as she dropped the keys to the couch. “Don’t disappear on me again.” Kara felt Cat's hand on her arm, pulling her in, suddenly hands were in her hair, tugging her closer as Cat caught her mouth.

Hands flexed in the air before deciding to settle along Cat's waist as she felt the blade of the other woman's tongue sweep inside her, like a lover for the first time, tentative and gentle, but with an undeniable certainty, as if she were finally coming home.

Kara fisted her hands around Cat's jeans, nearly picking her up as she walked her back until she had Cat pressed against a wall. Cat pulled in a deeper breath, arms wrapping around the woman’s broad shoulders as one of her legs was pulled up and hooked around the other her waist. Kara dipped down, rubbing her body against Cat's before pitching her hips up, digging them into Cat with another sharp gasp from the woman as their mouths broke apart.

"Oh....Kara..."

The woman in question breathed hard and heavy, her touch easing and her body pulling back as Cat settled down on two feet. “I’m sorry I-” Cat’s hand was on her face, silencing her words, thumb brushing across her lips.

“You didn’t have to hide.” Cat assured, watching Kara turn into her touch, eyes fluttering closed momentarily as she pressed feathered kisses to Cat’s skin. “I was so worried.”

“So was I.” Kara allowed, “I thought, maybe, after if I just stayed away, it would be easier.”

Cat closed her eyes, her body caved again, heart burning in her chest, feeling the finality of Kara’s words in her ears. She shook her head ever so slightly, fingers slipping behind Kara’s neck as she flexed them along the cords there. “Kiss me again.” She whispered, a soft whimper of a sound following thereafter as Kara bent down to her and captured her mouth.

Fingers wrapped around Cat’s waist, thumbs pressing against the finer curves of her hipbones and the tightening muscles just above until the woman winced and gripped Kara’s arms to get her to ease up.

“I’msorry.” Kara broke their kiss with a partially muffled apology, swallowing visibly as she eased her touch and stretched her fingers away. “You make me nervous…”

Cat let a breath of a laugh escape her, nudging Kara’s features. “Me… with what you can do..” She shook her head slightly. “It’s okay.” Cat pushed up into Kara’s touch, trying to convey that she needed the previous amount of pressure that the woman quickly re-supplied.

“I don’t want to hurt you and I can very easily.” Kara’s voice drifted a bit when she felt Cat’s lips brush across the curve of her collarbone.

“You’re not going to.” Cat said with absolution, feeling Kara’s lips press into her forehead and then her hairline.

The words echoed in the younger woman’s mind and when she felt Cat's lips against the base of her throat Kara let her hands start to roam over Cat’s sides, pulling at the shirt tucked into her jeans until she felt bare skin, pushing here, brushing there.

Kara’ s touch slowly filtered across her nerves, taking hold of her, and Cat felt herself submitting without restraint. Fingers slid up her back, her breath catching when they smoothed to the side brushing the compressed curves of her breasts; leaving her with the sense that Kara felt the skin there had been neglected from her touch. Warm fingers slid back in and continued their way up working over Cat’s shoulders, and pulling at her own over shirt in order to get at Cat's skin as Kara tried to possess every square inch of her with her touch.

The touch was all at once firm and delicate, making chills flow up and down her spine. Cat guided her fingers up Kara's neck and into her hair where nails raked across her scalp, pulling her thick locks as she kneaded her hands there, repeating the motion over and over, each time making Kara’s body come alive with an electrical energy that drove her ever growing arousal. After what seemed like endless moments of silence between them Kara leaned closer, lips brushing across Cat's skin. "What are you thinking?" Keeping her voice to a whisper, as if speaking any louder would ruin everything.

"Nothing," Cat replied just as softly into her grasp. Kara gave a small smile as she felt Cat withdraw her hands from her hair, only to gasp softly as they slid down her back with fanned fingers. When they reached the lowest curve she felt nails dig into the fabric pulling up and tugging until Cat bathed the inward slope of her back in her touch, pivoting her hands around and pressing her nails into the skin while pawing her way back up.  Kara's response was instant, her back arching into the other woman’s touch as air filled her lungs in the form of a soft hiss which died away as soon as Cat’s hands relaxed and rounded over her shoulders mimicking Kara's own actions from before.

Kara slid her hands along Cat’s shoulders and pushed at her shirt again until Cat drug her hands away, shaking out of the object before she wrapped her arms around Kara' body when the woman bent down, brushing the base of Cat's throat with her nose. Her hands surrounded Cat's hips, pushing her back against the wall as Kara leaned down further to place a line of open mouthed kisses across the woman's chest.

Cat's mouth opened and instantly her breath caught as she felt fire spread from the pit of her stomach and out through her body. Kara let her lips linger and closed her eyes, filling her nose and lungs with a scent that was all Cat. Her hair smelled like some rich shampoo and a kind of expensive perfume Kara had probably never heard the name of, her skin was ridiculously soft and pliant, like warm velvet; a texture her tongue continued to brush across carrying the taste of the woman back into her mouth.

Kara slowly let her mouth graze down Cat’s chest, pulling her undershirt down further until she reached the valley along the center of her chest. She pressed her lips against the woman’s skin again, tipping her head back just enough to allow a pair of gentle nips along the curves spilling out. Kara felt movement beneath her, the hard press of Cat's hips, the twist of the woman's hands around her shirt as she started tugging up.

When she felt Cat whimper and push against her,she forced her head up, leaning back enough to allow Cat to pry the rest of her shirt up and off her in a muss of hair, instantly setting Kara's skin aflame with its blush and goosebumps as the air touched her. Kara’s chest rose and fell visibly as she looked at Cat, who was having her own troubles breathing with Kara’s naked torso. Her face was flushed and her shirt clung precariously to her chest while the wanton look in her eyes nearly made Kara’s heart stop.

Cat's eyelids fluttered, pushing down her emotions and the words threatening to spill forth that she desperately wanted to say but refused. Instead she swallowed the words when Kara’s eyes leveled with her own, relaying the same root of emotions Cat had experienced with her before now. She saw Kara take a breath as if she were going to voice the things threatening to choke her and with them Cat reached up and quickly pulled Kara toward her to keep them at bay.

Kara felt her lungs burn and her chest swell as Cat’s tongue swept out and licked its way inside. Her lips parted under Cat’s onslaught, widening to her explorations, moaning into her throat when she deepened their kiss even more, hands flexing around Cat's jeans and pushing her harder into the wall. Cat answered back with equal fervor as she drug her tongue along Kara’s and slid it along the firm muscle as it chased her own back into her mouth.

There was a sudden shift in the air between them and Kara reached down, wrapping her hands around Cat's thighs, making the woman gasp slightly as Kara pulled her up and into her that Cat's only option was to slide her legs up over Kara’s waist and lock them behind her back. Without breaking their kiss, Kara used one arm like a seat for Cat while the other gripped the back of her shirt, twisting the material until the seams protested. Once she felt they were secure in their new found position Kara pulled away from the wall stalking down the hall where she shouldered her bedroom door open before kneeling up onto her mattress.

Cat answered the sudden jostle of their bodies with a sharp intake and a biting nip to Kara’s bottom lip as she dug her hips up against Kara's, tightening her hold so that she was flush against the other woman as Kara arced the lithe plane of her torso as much as she could into the drive of Cat’s body pulling Cat back with her and holding her firmly around the waist. An eager groan emptied itself into Cat’s mouth as Kara’s hands slid around the curve of her undulating hips into the juncture of her thighs. Fingers kneaded her skin and thumbs massaged over the woman’s lower abdomen so that Cat could move herself against Kara's body more easily.

Cat's inner voice tried in vain to argue that she shouldn't be doing this, that the two of them should stop, where her heart was too busy getting lost in the sensations the other woman was bringing out of her only to have all thought disappear when Kara grabbed Cat's hips and pulled firmly at them, urging her to grind herself into her body. Strong hands bit into Cat’s hips when she took over her own actions as Kara pulled and teased Cat's mouth, causing her breathing to become more labored as her orgasm neared. There was desperation in Cat’s movements, a desperation that ended when Kara slid one hand between them to press against Cat's sex, cupping her hand around her while letting her fingertips undulate in firm waves through her jeans.

Cat's face darkened to an even redder hue as she let her head drop back, Kara's mouth burning marks into her throat as she let out soft the admittance of her orgasm when Kara dug her fingers harder against the dense fabric of her jeans as she pitched them both forward to stretch out along the bed.

"Ohgod," Cat whispered when she allowed herself to relax, the other woman stretching over her deliciously.

Kara reached up, fingertips brushing the side of Cat’s face in an attempt to calm her. "What's wrong?"

Cat closed her eyes, shaking her head. “Nothing..” She said honestly, feeling Kara's forehead brush against her own. “I promise you.” Cat ushered, a soft gasp escaping her a second after when Kara pulled her undershirt apart,replacing the thin material with the searing heat of the other woman's skin conforming to her own.

Kara smiled gently with a quiet relief before letting out a shaky breath, eyes half-lidding as she nuzzled the dampened forehead against her own, "Do you want me to stop?" She asked gently, feeling Cat's hands in her hair and the small shake of her head going back and forth.

“Help me.” She spoke against Cat's lips, fingers dancing across Cat's side as she found the waist of the woman's jeans, lifting up enough to thumb the button apart and shove the zipper open. Cat was more than eager to oblige, lifting her hips as Kara tugged the article down before pulling each leg up one at a time to free them. Her own hands were fingering Kara's waist, pushing the line of her pants down until she couldn't reach.

“You're overdressed,” came a breathless response from Cat as she kissed her way back up Kara’s neck, until the woman's features dipped away while she pushed and tugged until she was naked and climbing back atop Cat's prone form.

“I've wanted you so much,” Kara started, her chest caving with frustration, “since before the other night and...I don't, I wasn't...” She shook her head as Cat's touch found her cheeks, thumbs brushing over her lips.

As Cat watched the woman above her she knew there was something she wasn’t saying, something more she wouldn’t dare to speak of. With a hard swallow, Cat pulled in a slow breath, tightening her grip on Kara’s neck. “Kara…” Cat interrupted, waiting until Kara was focused on her, “tell me.”

Kara swallowed visibly, kissing at Cat's fingers. “If a moment is all I get that's okay. It's -my- moment. I get to keep it; I know I did something right somewhere.” Kara stammered her exhale, closing her eyes again with a small shake as she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I just want-”

“You want what?” Cat’s voice seared the edge of her ear and made her heart jump with the sudden nearness.

Kara swallowed hard and kept her eyes closed “This here with you right now.”

Cat searched Kara's face, feeling her heart swell and break in the same instant beneath the curtain of Kara's hair. She pulled in a deep breath, nodding over and over again as another shudder of a breath escaped her mouth when she surged up and caught Kara's mouth again. Hands fastened around Kara's waist, her own hips rolling up with a whimper.

Kara's hands curled around the plush fabric of her sheets and the frame of her head board when she felt Cat reaffirm her grip around her waist, her thumbs rounded over Kara's hip bones as she rolled the pads firmly against her skin while Cat pressed herself against her, body lifting up between her thighs as her thumbs kneaded inward.

Kara bit her nails into the headboard, her mouth drifting open to allow her to breathe a little easier her head was tipped to the side, eyes closed, expression furrowing with a mixture of concentration and pleasure as Cat's teeth grazed over the curve of her chin. She dropped her head again, sending the length of her hair around the sides of Cat's features like a curtain with a groan of an exhale as she felt Cat's fingers streak over her arousal, sending coils of fire up from the small bundle of nerves there before she curled her fingers inside.

Cat kept close, a breath and a half away from Kara's features, studying and watching the play of emotions spilling across Kara's face. Her fingers withdrew, forcing a soft 'oh' to escape the other woman before it morphed into a headier moan as Cat built up a slow rhythm.

Kara gripped the bed harder on either side of Cat's head and her knees slid further apart with a sharp groan forcing Cat's fingers deeper inside. She tossed her head enough to move one side of her hair away from them, her eyes finally opening to slits as she kept her mouth close enough to brush and collide with Cat's own with every thrust both of them supplied.

Kara's hips were rolling harder and harder against Cat's hand, her knuckles white from the tension she had on the bed as she licked her lips, catching Cat's in the process and with another hard press of fingers inside she felt them curl in a 'come here' motion.

“Cat...” Kara felt her body start to arc involuntarily, forcing her hips up as muscles started to clamp around the other woman's fingers. “Cat...” She was pleading, the other woman's name spilling from her lips over and over and over again. “Stop, don’t want-“

“Don’t want to what Kara?”

“I’ll hurt you.” She whined, the wood frame beginning to crack and splinter in her grasp.

“You won't Kara.” Cat assured, slowing her rhythm just enough, the sounds above her head causing the muscles in her throat to tense but she refused to move away.

“I’m-” the sound of fabric beginning to tear was added to another series of pops and crackles that echoed around the room as Kara’s grip tightened in an attempt to regain control.

“My Supergirl.” Cat supplied causing Kara’s body to stutter and with it the bed frame snapped when the woman’s eyes flew open.

“Cat-”

The named woman in question only smiled leaning up and sucking at Kara's quaking bottom lip. “It's okay Kara...” She urged, turning her head in order to pull Kara into a deep kiss. She felt Kara's tongue invade her mouth, where her teeth caught the muscle pulling on it until she felt Kara gasp and go rigid.

Kara pulled in a sharp breath, letting a short lived exhale escape her before she pulled in another. Her hands found another part of her headboard to grip as she forced her hips down hard against Cat's fingers, knees closed in, biting into the woman's hips as smooth internal walls clamped around the digits painfully.

Cat was quick to withdraw her own hand when the vice of Kara’s muscles nearly dislocated them and Kara emptied a cry into her mouth as a result. Her body collapsing onto the other woman once her hand was free. She felt the Cat's arms around her, her tongue drifting out, running across the column of Kara's throat tasting her skin before the other woman lifted her head up.

Kara's hands were everywhere at once, their bodies fused together as she stretched and rolled herself against Cat until the woman gasped loudly as Kara's fingers traced deliberate circles against the shallow depths between her legs. The woman was insanely wet and the angle of her hand was somewhat unforgiving in its stretch and any fear of hurting Cat went out the window when she felt her hand run over her own, pushing her fingers deeper before drifting away.

Cat laid kisses and nips along her jaw and throat between gentle pants until she couldn't, feeling Kara pushing deeper while trying to keep her attention on the woman writhing beneath her. Her nails dug into Kara's back, hips lifting to Kara's touch as her body pressed her down into the mattress. Kara couldn't help the curve of a smile as it pulled at the sides of her mouth towards Cat's pleasurably strained expression.

“Kara.” Her name was a broken sound given up to the air between them as her body tried to bow up while the other woman pinned her down, stretching over her completely as she drove her fingers deeper with a final thrust as Cat came undone.

\-------

Kara woke up slowly, feeling the faint soreness in her body that she didn’t think was possible until the first rays of the sun danced over her skin and chased the sensation away. She stretched in a languid fashion, arm sliding over to the side of the bed only to skip across the hard edges of a piece of paper. She pulled herself up slowly, hugging the sheet to her as she pull the note over, eyes running over the flowing script of Cat’s handwriting before she was nothing more than a flourish of sheets and noise.

She yanked a shirt on, pulling jeans closed a second after as she thundered barefoot through the living room and out with a bang of her screen door only to come to a dead stop upon seeing Eliza sitting on the bed of her truck. Her mother drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she watched Kara’s body begin to weigh itself down when she started walking again. The small slip of paper was lost to the wind when Kara finally stood in front of Eliza, her features breaking apart for a moment until they were buried in the older woman’s shoulder, arms securing themselves around her to hug her close as tender words were left to the air between them.


	4. Chapter 4

Weeks later one Cat Grant sat alone in her office, the hour growing ever later as she glanced yet again to the clock on the wall before letting out a breath and leaning back into her chair. Ever since she had come back to National City from the Danvers ranch she had buried herself in work, in fact the time away had proved to be the best thing for CatCo and all of its conglomerates. It hadn’t been great for the personnel around the office, nor her assistants or the seven people she had fired in the meantime.

She glanced up, seeing another office light go out across the floor and the solitary steps across the marbled floors to the elevator, leaving her once again in the vacancy of the top floor once the doors slid shut. She chewed on her bottom lip after another round of thought, glancing to her right hand desk drawer before reaching for it.

The moment her fingertips touched it they almost drew back as if burned, but within a matter of moments resigned themselves to wrap around the handle and pry the object back, revealing all manner of Cat’s little indulgences. Laying face up in the center however was a keychain, the enameled red and blue tones surrounding the ‘S’ in the center. She traced the symbol there, feeling her heart ache and her eyes burn before she closed them to the world and slammed the drawer shut with resounding bang.

So many nights, just like this or at home or when Carter told another friend from school about his summer adventure she had thought of calling. She had written so many letters and thrown them away or left them shoved inside drawers at home and in her office. When she found herself like now, she knew how her evening would end. At the bottom of a glass wrapped tightly in Kara’s shirt, the one she had kept and never thought to excuse away or sleep without.

Part of her had hoped Kara would have just shown up at the airport that next day, begged her to stay and forget all about National City and her empire and all the things she had built. When that hadn’t happened she held out hope she would come into work the following day and find Kara standing in her office, just outside her balcony.

After the first week she had been out and on a whim bought that stupid key chain, holding onto some vacant hope despite knowing deep down that she had more than likely broken the other woman. That this was life and what one had to face as far as obligation and reality went. Kara had told her a moment was enough, and in that particular moment Cat had agreed. Only to realize now, countless days and empty nights later that she had lied to herself. She wanted more than a moment, needed it, but in the same instance convinced herself that she had only ever been deserving of one moment, whereas Kara deserved so much more than even Cat could offer her.

With another deep breath Cat pushed the wet warmth under her eyes away, picking herself up from her chair as she turned off her wall of information and gathered her things for the evening after finishing off her glass of scotch. As she reached her elevator her phone startled her, and when the doors opened she fished the thing out and all her ire went out the window when she saw Carter’s name appear on the caller id.

“Carter?”

“Hey mom. Uhm, so Kyle from school and his mom invited me over for a sleepover, I’ve already done my homework and everything and Nadia said she can drop me off if that’s alright?”

Cat furrowed her brow, glancing to the phone to be sure this was her son indulging in a bout of spontaneity unlike his usual character before she shook her head and pushed past the thought. She wasn’t the only one changed from the experience at the ranch but at least her son’s end results were more fruitful. “Does his mother have my number?”

“Yes, and Dad’s and Nadia’s just in case.”

The elevator announced the ground floor and Cat was already halfway across the lobby when she agreed to her son’s request, even if it left her completely alone at home but overall it was better if he didn’t catch her throwing out another bottle like he had prior to now.

“Text me her number and let me know if you two venture out tomorrow or if I should have breakfast ready.”

“Uh… no.. nope don’t think so there’s some game or something Kyle’s dad’s playing in tomorrow so won’t be home til later.. Much later.”

Cat narrowed her eyes suspiciously easing into the car thanks to her driver before they started towards her penthouse. “Carter…”

“Gotta go mom I’ll call you later, love you bye!”

Cat rose a highbrow when the line disconnected but no sooner did she think to call him back Kyle’s mom’s phone number came across her sms relay. She let out another breath, shaking her head at her own sense of paranoia concerning her son and letting the feeling pass as she watched the city float by, her thoughts shifting to question for the umpteenth time how she had managed to tolerate all the light and all the noise for so long.

Without fuss Cat slipped out of her car, thanking her driver and the doorman as they let her out of one sanctuary and into another. She keyed the private code to the elevator and looked heavenward thinking she might forego the next series of drinks she had been considering for the night and just wrap herself up in Kara’s shirt and pass out somewhere either on the couch or in her now too big bed.

Her purse was settled on the table by the door along with her phone and keys, her shoes were left where she walked out of them as she peeled the layers of another day off herself and ascended to her bedroom on the second floor. She didn’t bother hanging anything up, that could wait until morning, instead she shrugged into a slip of a thing before moving to her dresser where she kept it.

Only this time when she pulled open the dresser the article wasn’t there. She pushed at the other clothes in its shallow confines coming up empty before she moved into the bathroom, searching around to no avail. She knew she hadn’t put it with the dry cleaning, nor would Carter have come and gotten it for himself.

She searched her mind, recalling her steps from when she last had it, and where exactly she had discarded it before today. A thought struck her then, she had been on the balcony the night before, woken up in the chair out there before pulling herself to bed. She padded over to the large window, sliding it open and slipping outside, a shiver running down her spine as the wind caught the silk of her nightgown.

She saw it draped across the lounger, not sure when or why she would have been so careless as she moved over to it, pulling it to her like a lifeline. Cat felt another rush of wind behind her, the air seeming to fill itself with everything she had managed to hold onto when it came to remembering Kara and she twisted her hands around the object, burying her face into it as she cursed herself and the world and that stupid ranch.

She swore she could feel the phantom touch of Kara’s hands along her waist and felt as if her heart was going to explode until the air on the back of her neck became warm.

“Cat, I’m here…”

The woman felt her shoulders drop, pushing aside what had to be the last vestiges of the glass of scotch she had had at the office before leaving until she felt strong arms surround her forcing a gasp into the air as she fought to turn around, the shirt forgotten in place of its original owner in the bite of her fingers.

Her eyes flooded a second after, disbelief written on her features “Kara….?”

Kara smiled gently, holding onto Cat tighter when she felt the strength of her legs leave her.

“How...wh..why?”

“Carter called me a few weeks ago.” She answered only to have her breath stolen away from her when Cat pulled herself up with her returning strength and kissed the woman fiercely.

Kara wrapped her arms around Cat’s body, pulling her off the ground, walking them both back into Cat’s home where she set her back down on her knees on the edge of the bed.

Their mouths broke apart with a small sob on Cat’s behalf, her hands twisting around Kara’s clothes and pulling her along as she ushered them back on the bed until they were wrapped around one another before kissing her again.

Kara allowed herself to melt into the kiss, her boots thudding to the floor as she surrounded Cat’s body with her own, the strength of her arms fitting beneath her back as a hand tangled into her hair from underneath until they broke apart so Cat could breathe again.

“Are you, did you leave..what about...”

Kara shook her head slightly. “I decided, if you could spend three months with me, why couldn’t I try to do the same?”

Cat actually laughed gently, hands smoothing over Kara’s features, urging the curtain of her hair over one shoulder as she leaned up and kissed the woman briefly again. “I think that would make us a cliche.”

Kara nosed Cat’s features, pulling in deep breaths filled with her scent while lips dusted promise filled kisses on her skin. “I can rent a place, I don’t want to disrupt you and so it’s not so-”

“You’re not going anywhere.” Cat said seriously, pulling the woman to her as she devoured her mouth again.

Kara groaned against her, driving her hips down as Cat pulled her closer tangling their legs together before she broke their mouths apart.

“We can do this… right?” Cat questioned, watching Kara carefully.

“I’d like to try.” Kara breathed, dipping her head down to leave bold kisses across Cat’s throat and upper chest. “Rao I’ve missed you…” She husked, feeling Cat’s body respond to her, pushing up against her as fingers dug their way across her scalp.

“I’m so sorry.” Cat admitted, another choked sound of distress breaking between them as Kara mouthed over her heart. “I… shouldn’t.. I thought.”

“It would be easier.” Kara murmured, pulling herself back up so that she was looking down at the other woman, brushing another soft series of kisses across her skin when she nodded. “But it wasn’t.” Cat shook her head. “And you realized something you’re still terrified to admit.” Cat nodded, swallowing visibly as Kara’s arms pressed into the bed on either side of her head, hands holding the other woman up as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

“We don’t have to say it, even if we know it, not yet.” Kara assured and Cat sucked in another deep breath to try and calm her heart down. “But I want to try this, us, and it’s not going to be easy.”

“But?” Cat whispered, her voice thick with the fountain of emotions filling her up.

“I’ve never liked easy.” Kara smirked faintly, leaning that much closer until her lips brushed against Cat’s with her words. “And I can fly… really far, really fast when I need to...”

Cat actually laughed, wrapping her own super hero up in her arms kissing her into a state of oblivion.


	5. Night Train to National City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1st Date in National City.... where else where they gonna go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1st Date prompt by [SupergaySupercat](http://archiveofourown.org/users/octoplods/pseuds/SupergaySupercat)
> 
> Somehow this sparked: national city – cowboy night – with mech bull and thus Night Train sequel/continuation in my brain

Kara was ridiculously excited, as well she should be, after a couple of weeks in National City Cat had finally agreed to take her out on a date. Unsure of how much Kara wanted to experience with Cats level of night life she had agreed to let Kara pick the place.

Which is where they stood now, far more casual than Cat ever would have allowed herself but with the time she had spent in Midvale and the ranch and with Kara she ignored the nagging voice in her mind and tried to relax enough to have fun.

Not only that but the whole of the city was a bit overwhelming to Kara, just as the ranch and being disconnected from the whole of the world had been for Cat. So it really shouldn't have been all that surprising for Cat to find them in more of a bar, on Cowgirl night, across town. The mechanical bull however, that was surprising, as was Kara's glee upon seeing it. Of course, let's Cat forget, Alex had reminded Cat on several occasion, Kara was their best horse trainer, which for the moment gave Cat all manner of other ideas that she should not be entertaining given their locale.

“I cannot believe I let you pick this place.”

“Yes you can.” Kara grinned before taking another swig from the long neck of her drink while cat swirled olives in her martini glass.

“It's just one night, and maybe I got a little nostalgic.”

Cat gave her a look, hiding her smile behind her glass as she took another sip, snagging the plastic sword a second after and sucking an olive into her mouth causing Kara to swallow visibly.

“It's a big city, loud, obnoxious, and foreign to what you're used to.” She allowed, reaching over and taking Kara's hand, rubbing her thumb over the other woman's knuckles. “I want you to be comfortable, I need you to be alright.”

Kara slid closer until their shoulders touched, fingers tangling with Cat's, the brim of her hat shielding them from the din of the club for just a moment. “I'm with you.” She murmured, stealing a kiss and with it Cat's breath in the same instant.

They came apart only when a spotlight burned its way across the room and sought them out, sending the place into a peal of cheers and whistles as Kara broke away and tucked her features down further with a small laugh. Cat was quick to follow, in quite the opposite display, a slow wicked grin pulling at her lips before she made another olive disappear with the additional shouts from the crowd because of it.

“Ladies and ladies and a few gentlemen, we have a special guest in the house who has graciously signed up to ride our feature of the night, BIIIIIIIIIG RED!!” The hydraulics of the mechanical bull surrounded by red cushions and air bags resounded as the controller made the thing move about in violently random intervals as the surrounding patrons sent up another round of cheers.

“Can she..”

Cat chuckled at Kara's expression, Kara thought she was going to have to twist the woman's arm to even consider riding that thing, and here she had already thrown her hat in the ring for it. The shorter woman stood, giving a small mock salute to another round of cheers as she sauntered over to the bull, snagging Kara by the front of her shirt in order to pull her along. Bracing herself on the woman's shoulder to remove her shoes.

“Stay on...”

Kara looked dumbfounded, whistles being sent her way as Cat yanked her along until she was being used as a stabilizer until Cat held her heels up to the younger woman who obliged happily, finding it difficult to hide the flush of her throat and the grin blazing across her lips at Cat's display.

“For longer than fifteen seconds?!”

Cat sauntered across the plush cushions surrounding the bull as it was turned and the controllers hands were held up for her to see. Like a pro Cat grabbed the harness around the neck, hoisting herself up and guiding her leg over before blowing a kiss to Kara who took off her hat and fanned herself with it while Cat got settled.

“COUNT IT DOWN!”

The crowd, including Kara shouted the countdown to when the operator could take over again as Cat secured herself as best as she could, reversing her grip and stretching her palm along the hand hold before closing her fist around it. She eased up just enough to nearly sit on her hand, the suggested movement sending another bout of whistles into the air as she rooted herself to the thing with her thighs until the buzzer sounded.

The bull pitched forward and Cat relaxed her upper body, using her thighs to dig in as she turned her heels together leaning back with the sudden pitch to counter the momentum, she felt the twist and shift as she turned with the thing, rolling her hips down and rhythmically shifting her weight the opposite way as they head of it tipped up sharply.

Her hand was up like an expert, helping her maintain her balance as the bull was twisted right, causing her to lean left and back as she felt the head of it go down again and then start to bounce as she held herself up by her thighs before it righted itself and then began to spin to the left and she countered. As the seconds continued to rise the crowd started to chant her name, lead by Kara until the whole place was drowning it the drum.

The handler tried his damnedest to throw her to no avail while the crowd started counting fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. Kara felt claps on her back and felt herself grinning like an idiot when Cat caught her eye before winking at her and upon the count of twenty five waited for the back end to pitch up and the head to drop before throwing her left leg over the horn and letting go, landing on her hands and feet before unsteadily coming to a stand.

Kara was inside the pen with her as the bull rocked and seemed to shrink away in defeat as the other woman snagged Cat up and hoisted her right up onto her shoulder like she was nothing. The bar erupted into shouts and applause as Kara nearly floated them out of the pen and back to solid ground.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OUR NEW RECORD!!!”

Cat twisted, turning her hips just so she slid off Kara’s shoulder and into her arms before tugging her down and kissing her in front of the entire bar, grabbing the woman’s hat off her head to hide them both behind before breaking away just enough to speak against Kara’s mouth.

“Top that my Supergirl.” Kara actually laughed as she chased after Cat’s mouth pulling her closer and kissing her deeper to an additional round of shots and some playful heckling from the DJ before she broke away leaving Cat panting for breath.

“Trust me I will… but not on that and certainly not here.”

It was Cat’s turn to laugh as she propped Kara’s hat on her head before the woman set her down proper and like the red sea the patrons parted to let the pair through to the bar for whatever round of drinks they could want.

Less than an hour later Cat’s penthouse door opened with a bang, keys hitting the floor and with a scrape of a sound the door shut with a heavy thud as Cat’s body impacted the solidity of it. Kara’s mouth was on her own, the pair nearly suffocating each other as Cat felt herself lifted from the floor and reseated against the door, braced against Kara’s body.

Kara’s hands dug at her waist, pulling her belt off with a slap of a sound before they invaded, wrapping around her ass and kneading as she pulled the woman up higher against her body forcing her shoulders into the door as she drove her hips up into the woman sharply causing Cat to empty a groan into Kara’s throat as a result.

Cat wrapped her legs around Kara’s waist, thighs rooting her to the spot as she started to chuckle, the sound deep and rich in her throat as she squeezed and shifted, grinding herself against the other woman not unlike she had that mechanical bull.

Ever the quick study Kara grinned against her mouth, pinning Cat to the door as she let her go, shaking her arms out of her shirt before she was pushing up at Cat’s own until they were skin to skin. Kara’s mouth broke away and with a purposeful intention forcing the other woman’s arms up and then trapping them above her head, features still masked except for her mouth. She felt Cat’s hips buck again and pushed back sending a gasp to wash over her face before she leaned in, taking a page out of Cat’s book and licking at the bottom swell of the other woman’s mouth until she caught it between her teeth gently.

Cat swore, hands turning to smack against the door above her head with Kara’s teasing, her bottom lip released, barely chasing after the woman before she felt the tip of Kara’s tongue caressing the underside of her top lip before she felt the turn and Kara slip inside to taste her again.

Kara pried the article off the woman, feeling Cat’s hands slip into her hair as she dove into the kiss again, pulling Kara into her as she flexed her legs around her waist and rolled her hips against her abs again. Kara’s hands wrapped around her ass once more, kneading at the supple curves there, holding the other woman flush against herself as she bowed her body up against the apex of her thighs.

Cat let out groan somewhere from the depths of her chest as she felt the thick seam of her jeans pressing against her, rubbing across her nerves and sending a trembling shudder through her body. Kara tipped her chin down breaking the fullness of their kiss even as her lips brushed across Cat’s own.

“Think you can hold on for longer than twenty five seconds” She teased laughing on a low note as Cat bit at her mouth and pulled on her hair as she reaffirmed her grip.

“Try me.” She challenged before letting out another gasp as she felt the pull of her waistband being yanked open and Kara’s hands slipping underneath the skin tight fabric to claw at her skin and pull on her from behind again.

Kara dug her hips down and rolled them up sharply, widening her stance and ushering Cat just a little lower around her waist until they were both grinding against one another in firm driving strokes until Cat used her tongue to pull in her bottom lip and added a quicker, short burst of a thrust in between the rhythm Kara started.

Cat could feel her underwear growing wetter, the delicious grind of Kara’s sex against her own forcing the seam of her jeans against her with just enough friction to drive her arousal higher and higher along her spine. She widened her legs, secure in the knowledge that Kara wouldn’t dare let her fall as she continued to palm and knead at her ass with every roll, or dip of her waist. She countered Kara’s thrusts with her own, providing delicate but firm undulating dips down and against Kara as she rolled up on the balls of her feet to meet her.

Kara pushed her hard against the door, slipping her hands out from under Cat’s jeans in order to hook the bend of her legs around her arms, flattening her palms as she started to drive her hips harder against the other woman. Holding herself in place and digging upward, nearly crushing herself against Cat with audible pants that were answered by Cat’s own whimpering moans.

Cat tangled her hands deeper into Kara’s hair, feeling the woman’s exhales burn across her chest as she dropped her head against Cat’s shoulder when she started thrusting harder against her. “More...fu.. Kara..need more…” Her words were pushed out of her with every grind and pitch of Kara against her. She winced at the pull of her legs as she angled her hips up and forward her head thudding against the door soundly as Kara began to grunt with her efforts.

The door itself banged loudly to the beat Kara pounded out as Cat pleaded for her to increase the tempo.

“Almost..” Cat whined, pressing herself towards Kara,”almost...fuck..” trying to keep up as she felt her orgasm starting to claw at her insides.

“Almost!” She pressed the inside of her knees against Kara’s biceps, pushing herself open as far as she could just as the searing wetness of Kara’s mouth fit around her neck and sucked hard on her skin.

“THERE!” She sucked in a sharp breath, her entire body snatched tight as if someone had pulled on every muscle and held her in place before she let out a disjointed groan of Kara’s name as she came.

Kara bucked her hips up hard, holding herself against Cat, pounding herself against the other woman in small bursts, one of her hands curling into a fist as she hit the door. Teeth bit down around Cat’s skin, her hips pulling up hard and shaking enough to ricochet through her whole body as her torso bowed back. She let out a muffled moan against Cat’s skin as her orgasm burned through her nerves and locked up her body save for uncontrollable shocks of movement as she tried to hang onto the sensation.

Cat folded around Kara, arms wrapping around her shoulders as she tried to remember what breathing was. She sucked in a hiss of a breath when she felt Kara ease her legs back around the woman’s waist, legs closing around the solidity of Kara’s hips with a stuttering tremor as she felt her clothes rubbing against her overly sensitive skin. A chill crept through her as the heat of her wetness already began to abandon her.

Kara was still throbbing, her body wound up tighter than a drum despite herself. She wrapped an arm under Cat’s ass to keep her up, the other curling around her back as she nuzzled and buried her face against her chest against the pounding of Cat’s heart. Her breath was still coming in waves, throat dry as she swallowed with an audible gasp to ease the feeling. “Gods Cat.” She panted, pulling in a deep breath filled with the scent of both of them in the air as she tested her legs.

While weakened, the muscles held and she continued backing up until she found the nearest cushion of a surface and laid them both out on the overly large couch, head lifting when she heard the trapped groan from the other woman as she stretched her legs out.

“Did I hurt you?”

Cat shook her head side to side slowly, eyes finally opening up to take Kara in as she looked down at her, one hand smoothing over Karas cheek. “You would never.” She breathed, pulling Kara to her in a tender kiss before rubbing her forehead against Kara’s own. “I just havn’t ridden like that since I left the ranch.”

Kara actually grinned through her laugh, coming up short with a small noise of apprehension. “Oh Cat.”

“What?” She said languidly, nudging Kara’s features with a small head bump. “What’d you do?” She questioned with an amused lilt.

Kara’s fingertips were against her neck along the curve where it met her shoulder and Cat let out a softer groan of a sound in result. “You marked me.”

Kara nodded slowly, pressing into the bruised markings and pulling another sound from the woman before Cat let out a series of low hum-like laughs.

“It’s okay.” Cat whispered, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth and waiting for Kara to look back up, allowing her smile to show around the vice of her bite. “If I didn’t want it I would have stopped you.”

“You’re going to have to wear a high collar.” Kara warned and Cat slipped into another series of those decadent laughs.

“But -I’ll- know it’s there, and that you gave it to me.” She eased the curtain of Kara’s tousled hair back from her face, searching her features to be sure they were both alright.

Kara thumbed the bruise again, causing Cat’s eyes to flutter and the corner of her mouth to lift in a smirk.

“And you’ll know it’s there.” She added as Kara’s gaze dropped to the mark again, her features becoming softer until she bent her head down, the end of her tongue tracing the discoloration before she kissed the skin there.

Cat felt movement as she closed her eyes, tipping her head back to expose herself more to the other woman, knees pressing on either side of her body. She lifted her hips with Kara’s help, her skin pebbling as she she was stripped down to nothing. Kara’s hair made her gasp softly, body bowing up as she slid lower and lower until Cat was fisting the edge of the couch when she felt Kara’s tongue press itself inside.

The next morning Kara stretched languidly, surrounded in the rumpled nest of Cat’s bed smiling at herself and the edge of soreness pulling at her body. She scooted out, grabbing the robe Cat had gotten her, leaving it undone as she made her way into the bathroom and started the shower. Turning to get a towel she saw the flowing letters of Cat’s handwriting on the mirror, the corners of her mouth pulling upward at the message.

_“Come up to work again if you find your way out of bed. - Cat”_

She turned on the small tv set on the counter, hearing the drone of noise that was the news as she stepped into the shower, letting the scalding heat pour over her skin and ease the tension in her body.

It had been like this for nearly three months. Of course the first had been Cat trying to negotiate how she would even be able to get out of work so Kara had something other than to meander around her penthouse alone until she or Carter got home. Until Kara told her not to worry about it, that she was more than capable of handling herself and would be more than happy to watch over Carter once he got home from school before Cat got home from work, whenever that was.

There was a frightening level of ease given the domesticity they had settled into so quickly. Even with Carter, his mother was home sooner, or didn’t work the extra Saturday in a week if she could help it. There were dinners and games, homework and movie nights. It was almost enough to make Kara forget she wasn’t in the country anymore.

Except at night, even though she could see far more stars that any human could imagine, they were dimmer here. The noises were foreign and loud and the city itself never seemed to settle no matter what hour it was. The sprawl of fields and endless hills were replaced with tall buildings and endless amounts of cars and people and sometimes, it overwhelmed Kara.

She had learned over the short time that moments like this, in the shower, just letting the rush of water and absent white noise to fill her up and block out the whole of the environment she was surrounded in eased that apprehension. Although there was one element she did find surprising, how it had actually allowed her to fine tune her senses even more than she thought she had.

“-ave just confirmed the distress signal from the FAA. The private jet in question belongs to CEO Cat Grant and we understand that she and others are on board.”

Kara blinked the haze away, soaking wet she was already outside the shower standing in front of the tv as it was flooded with reports about some jet having engine problems over the city.

“The plane has experienced some kind of engine malfunction that occurred shortly after take off and is attempting to make it back.”

The rest of the reporter’s voice became white noise as she caught the images of Cat’s plane complete with trails of black plummeting from the sky. She didn’t bother with the towel, grabbing what she could as she sped through the penthouse and took off into the air from the balcony.

Cat held firmly to her seat, her lap belt in place as the plane shook and the pilot relayed information to ground control. They weren’t going to make it back, the engine was too far gone and with their altitude and trajectory there just wasn’t enough to get them there. She could hear the pilot arguing about wherever the controllers on the other side were trying to get them to land by again repeating they were going down right there and if they were lucky wouldn’t break apart between buildings.

Cat thought of Carter, praying he wasn’t watching, begging anyone who would listen that if she didn’t make it out Adam would take proper care of him, more so than Carter’s father ever could. She thought of Kara, how devastated she would be and wished she could convey how much the woman had changed her, how much she was loved, and how she had to continue on.

She felt another drop flip her stomach up into a freefall as she closed her eyes before lurching in her seat. She heard the pilot swear loudly, his co-pilot was up and looking out the window in the cockpit as she felt the freefall minimally subside. Peeking one eye open she glanced around until she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

Momentarily forgetting her brush with death she leaned forward, looking out the window only to gasp aloud, causing other people on the plane to turn their attention.

“There’s someone on the wing!?!?”

“Sit down and shut up!” Cat demanded, causing the junior editor to do exactly that as she looked back out, catching Kara’s eye when the woman looked through the window at her while holding the wing.

Cat didn’t know what manner of expression she gave but she did note it made Kara seem to shout before letting go and zipping underneath the belly of the jet. The entire plane moved then, the nose pitching up and becoming more level while the pilots attempted to relay all manner of information as they saw it on their instruments.

The plane was pushed and slowed, its trajectory altering as they went through the lines of a bridge with a shout from the surrounding passengers. Cat closed her eyes again as the pilots told them to brace for impact while alarms and warning claxons screamed all around them. She felt the level of the plane at the last second, her body pressing into the seat and then pitching forward against her seatbelt as the plane skidded across the water and slowed to a stop.

Within moments everyone was up, pressing into the windows to see what had happened while the pilots relayed their coordinates, unsure exactly what had just occurred. Cat undid her seatbelt, practically prying her fingers from the arms of her seat before turning to the window. She counted seconds, eyes searching the water until she saw Kara come up from the water, one arm draped over the wing.

Another few seconds and another glance up to the windows, Kara pulled herself up onto the wing, drenched and barefoot, dressed all in black water whipping off of her body as she looked up to the sudden buzz of helicopters nearing their location. She turned to look at Cat one more time, walking along the wing until she reached the door, pulling the emergency handle and popping the thing off. She ignored the gasps, knowing Cat’s eyes were on her as she looked and found the cord she was looking for sending the inflatable slide, or more a raft now, out.

“Is everybody alright?” She caught nods and Cat moving closer as if awestruck or frightened she couldn’t tell which. “Everyone needs to get off before it goes under.” No one but Cat moved. “Now!”

Everyone startled then, moving as commanded. Kara gave one final look to Cat, mouthing the words, “I’m sorry.” To which Cat merely shook her head before Kara stepped out of the plane and took off in a blur.

Hours and interviews and insurance meetings later Cat found herself at home, Carter nearly taking her off her feet when she walked in. She dropped to her knees without hesitation, wrapping him up tight enough to bruise his ribs but he didn’t care. She caught movement near the kitchen, the haze of warm food filtering into her senses as she waited until Carter pulled away enough to let her stand although he never did let her hand go until she needed it to put her things away.

“Let me get changed buddy.” He nodded, keeping a brave face despite nearly losing his mother today and watching her ascend the stairs before he made his way back into the kitchen where Kara had tried to keep him busy once she had picked him up early from school.

Cat was already stripping her clothes off before she even made it to the bedroom, letting them pile uncharacteristically on the floor until she sat down on her bed in nothing but her underwear. Due to all the distractions what with the media coverage and all manner of companies from the plane manufacturers to the FAA to her company's insurance to the other employees on board, she had thankfully not been allowed to dwell on the many what ifs that had tried to rear their heads from the shadows of her mind. Until now.

Her arms were around her after a few minutes, hugging her torso as she bent forward choking on the emotions before sucking in a deep audible breath, feeling panic seize her lungs with the sensation of being suffocated. Every horrible no good terrible thought raced up to meet her, filling her mind’s eye with scenarios from waking up in a hospital scarred and broken to watching over her own funeral and everything in between.

She didn’t know when Kara got there but she felt her body pulled backward into the depths of the bed, surrounding her with the strength of her arms and pulling her against Kara’s chest, cradling her as best she could before securing the comforter around them.

After what felt like only a few seconds Kara lifted her head at the tender call of Carter’s ‘mom?’, hugging Cat closer before waving him over. He practically ran to them, crawling over the bed and joining their huddle as he wrapped his mom up along her back and side against the comforter, one hand clutching at Kara where it could.

Kara set her chin on Cat’s head, legs folded around her body, one arm wrapped around shoulders and the other around both her and Carter. Cat herself cried against Kara’s chest, feeling her son and reaching for him pulling him closer as she just let everything pour out of her concerning the events of today.

Carter turned his head down against his mother’s back, fingers digging into Kara’s arm while Kara nuzzled Cat’s head and ran small circles across Carter’s back where it held. She breathed slow and even, letting everything wash over her and away, if she was going to make herself responsible for their lives like she had carried out today, she sure as hell wasn’t about to let them flail aimlessly about in the aftermath.

Cat eventually cried herself to the point of passing out with her exhaustion and Kara had laid out enough to get comfortable Carter had stayed and was still pressed into his mother’s back with his own sheet pulled over him, Kara’s fingers running through his hair while he slept. Cat was still wrapped around her torso, curled against her side, head on her chest while her fingertips ran over the skin of the woman’s arm in slow steady motions in time with her breathing.

Kara let herself drift, staying fully awake even if she was floating into the depths of her mind, a skill she had easily refined with her time in the pod that brought her to Earth in the first place. She drew upon the triad of their hearts to lull her body into a restful state, eyes never closing as she continued to monitor the world around them just in case she was needed again.

**Author's Note:**

> Also cause @AstraD asked what I listen to while I write here's some of the stuffs I listened to while writing this one:
> 
> Night Train - Jason Aldean  
> Tonight - Sugarland  
> Barton Hollow - Civil Wars  
> Hozier-Take me to church  
> Jebediah’s Moonshine Friday Night Shack Party -Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound  
> You & I - Lady Gaga Featuring Sugarland  
> Lissie - Go Your Own Way  
> Silver Springs(live TheDance) - Fleetwood Mac  
> TO Build A Home - Cinematic Orchestra  
> All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You - Heart  
> Country Boy's World by Jason Aldean  
> Big & RIch - Wild West Show  
> Breathe - Faith Hill  
> Bring Me Some Water - Melissa Etheridge  
> California King Bed - Rhianna featuring Sugarland  
> Little Big Town - Boondocks  
> Dancing - Elisa  
> I Drove All Night - Cyndi Lauper  
> Hallelujah - Over the Rhine  
> Need You Now - Lady Antebellum  
> Stairway to Heaven - Dolly Parton  
> This Kiss - Faith Hill  
> Shine - Dolly Parton  
> Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynard  
> Whiskey Lullaby - Alison Krauss  
> Fade Into You - Emmylou Harris  
> Does He Love You - Reba McEntire  
> Don’t You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson  
> Little Big Town - Girl Crush  
> Apologize / What Hurts the Most - Warr Acres Cover  
> Metallica S&M - The Ecstasy of Gold  
> Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover - Melissa Etheridge & Sophie B Hawkins  
> Kelly Clarkson & Jewel - Foolish Games


End file.
